Different Types of Statins and All-Cause Mortality during Anticoagulation for Venous Thromboembolism: Validation Study from RIETE Registry.

Introduction We previously reported that during the course of anticoagulation for venous thromboembolism (VTE) patients using statins were at a lower risk to die than nonusers. Methods We used the R egistro I nformatizado E nfermedad T rombo E mbólica (RIETE) registry to validate our previous findings in a subsequent cohort of patients and to compare the risk of death according to the use of different types of statins. Results From January 2018 to December 2019, 19,557 patients with VTE were recruited in RIETE. Of them, 4,065 (21%) were using statins (simvastatin, 1,406; atorvastatin, 1,328; rosuvastatin, 246; and others, 1,085). During anticoagulation (192 vs.182 days, for statin and no statin users respectively), 500 patients developed a VTE recurrence, 519 suffered major bleeding, and 1,632 died (fatal pulmonary embolism [PE], 88 and fatal bleeding, 78). On multivariable analysis, statin users were at a lower risk to die (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.68; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.59-0.79) than nonusers. When separately analyzing the drugs, on multivariable analysis, patients using simvastatin (HR = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.52-0.80), atorvastatin (HR 0.72; 95% CI: 0.58-0.89), or other statins (HR = 0.67; 95% CI: 0.52-0.87) were at a lower risk to die than nonusers. For those using rosuvastatin, difference was not statistically significant (HR = 0.77; 95% CI: 0.50-1.19), maybe due to the sample size. Conclusion Our data validate previous findings and confirm that VTE patients using statins at baseline are at a lower risk to die than nonusers. No statistically differences were found according to type of statins.

Herpetic tracheitis and polybacterial pneumonia in an immunocompetent young man is herpes tracheitis involved in the pathogenesis of bacterial pneumonia?

We report a 28-year-old immunocompetent man that after a course of corticoids developed a severe pneumonia in right lower lobe. A fiber-optic bronchoscopy showed a white membrane easily bloody on contact with bronchoscopy tube at trachea level. The tracheal biopsy showed typical cytopathological lesions of herpes simplex virus (HSV) and polymerase chain reaction was positive for type 1 HSV. Streptococcus viridans and Fusobacterium necrophorum grew in right bronchial secretion cultures. Clinical improvement was achieved after prolonged antibiotic therapy and before initiating treatment with acyclovir. Herpetic tracheitis could have been involved in the aspiration of oropharyngeal material that leaded to the development of this bacterial pneumonia.

Respiratory pasteurellosis: infection or colonization?

Respiratory infection by Pasteurella multocida is uncommon and usually occurs in patients with an underlying lung disease, advanced age and/or immunodepression. In this study, we describe the clinical and microbiological characteristics of a series of 14 patients in whom Pasteurella multocida was isolated from lower respiratory tract samples, over a period of 21 y (1986-2006). Differentiation between colonization and infection allows establishment of early antibiotic treatment.